Page 122 of Raven

“Do you know why Tsariuk contacted you?”

I nod.

“Yeah,” Archer drawls. “You are the only one who thought what was happening between you and Maddy was a secret. Sonny wouldn’t shut up about you two. ‘Maddy and Rave this, Maddy and Rave that.’ Kat, Marlow, Kai, the guards, for Christ’s sake. All of Ayana was talking about it. I don’t know precisely when Tsariuk infiltrated our security, but there was no Maddy without Raven in the last, let’s see, probably over a month.”

Strangely, I didn’t even notice. Did I get carried away that much?

“We need to discuss what we will tell Tsariuk,” I say. “We need a plan, Archer. Because he wants her back. And I’m not giving her to him.”

“Oooh, so you do want to keep her.”

“It’s not that. She wants to stay. And I want what’s best for her. It’s not about me and her. It’s about her. So, let’s figure this out.”

Archer still doesn’t understand my reasons when we discuss multiple scenarios, but my latest suggestion raises his eyebrows.

He is quiet and stares at me with a strange look, then walks toward the window overlooking the Center. I follow his gaze and see Katura chatting to Marlow and Ortiz. And I know what he is thinking.

“I think you are an idiot,” he says. “What you are offering works for Ayana all right. But not quite for you.”

“It works for me,” I retort.

He nods. “You are still being stupid. But I can’t say anything. If I were you, I would’ve done the same thing.”

Relief washes over me, not that I need Archer’s approval for what I am about to offer Tsariuk.

He looks at his watch.

“Corlo, close the blinds, lock the door,” he orders his virtual assistant.

The room turns into a brightly lit gray rectangle with no outside light or view.

My heart starts pounding.

Then my phone rings.

Unknown ID.

I pick up. “Hello?”

“Mr. Levi,” says the familiar voice.

“I am with Archer Crone. I will give you his video chat ID?—”

“No need for that,” he cuts me off, hangs up, and right away, the screen on the wall lights up with the incoming call.

Archer and I exchange looks, and I take a deep breath when Archer says to the virtual assistant, “Accept the call.”

46

RAVEN

Breaking news: Tsariuk wants his daughter and—as if no one saw it coming—a piece of Ayana. Or Gen-Alpha, to be exact.

Once upon a time, Archer did tell him to fuck off. The circumstances changed, and I’m not Archer. I want Maddy to have a choice.

So, what do I do? I make a deal with the devil. I’m a dealer, remember? Well, the deal I am going to make with Tsariuk is bad. For me, that is. For Ayana? Ayana is good under anyone’s protection. For Maddy? Any deal will make her mad. But I’m doing this for her sake.

Archer, Marlow, Mr. Ortiz, and I go back and forth about how to handle this deal with Tsariuk. They think I am being careless. I think I’m being reasonable. Tomorrow is a big day. It can either go smoothly or turn into a disaster. Either way, things are about to escalate a notch.

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